Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-08-16

ed by ,hs barber at a future sitting.
Nervous misses whose heads had passed
under hi, curling instrument put their
hands over their eyes and screamed.
while the older ladies hoped he would
come back and own up TO stealing heir.
esses for ransom. and tell the particulars
10 his pleasan, and polite way; soms
more romantic and daring still. wished
be would steal them, and did not care
aboa, the ransom.
The owner OF the horse aud ehaise did
not wai, for the expiration Of the time &c,
for Johnsoas re,urn. but started . man
named Timothy Chadboarn Ia pursuit.
CAnAds was then as now. al asylum for
rogues. and ChAdboarn pointed thA, way.
A, Pyeburg be heard Of hi, man. pass.
ed on through the notch Of the mountains
TO 81. JOhn.buy, aud finally found John.
son at Swsn'on. on the shore Of Lake
Champlain. at q hotel Chadbouin know.
ins Of Johnson's strength. quietly made
up . party Of a sheriff and three or four
other men. The officer though, |, bes.
70 val, until hi. man had gone to hi,
room. and a. be supposed TO sleep
When they pushed the door open. he
was lying on bis bed with clothes on.
lie .piang from the bed. cried "robbers.
aud rushed upon hi, assailan,s unfmsd.
(revolvers had no, then been iayen,ed)
and knocked them down one after another
until he came 20 sn IrishmAn OF great
strength. who was armed with cadgel.
aud was very expert In the att Of welding
il. lie 20, In a blow with his 'single
stick" which broagh, Johnson 70 the
aoor. and with the help OF all. be was
held there until be was hand cafed.
and as hi. eapior thought. manageable.
The passage from SwAnton TO 81. Albans
wa, to be m.ls by water. Soon after
leaving Swanion in rowboa,. the pri.oner
suddenly and with ease drew his hands.
which were very small, ou. Of the man
aelss, and SEIZED . sword-eane from the
officer. and would have become master OF
the boa, ba, for the lrishmsn with bis
,hilalah. A scientific se,.to now took
place. Pa, defended himself from john
son. thrus,s. broke bis sword aud stun
ned him with blow on the head with
hi. club. when the prisoner gave 10.
From the peculiar formation Of Johnson's
wrists and hand. !, was found ihA. he
could slip his handouts a, his pleasure.
and il became necessary TO pinion him With
cords. From 81. AlbAns Jail the pfi'oner
wa. brought 10 Portland under a strong
guard ia much fear.
At the October term Of the court,
Judge Msllen presiding. Johnson was
anaigned and plead no, guilty to the
indictment. Hra,,us foo,e OF Wiseassei,
wa. the attorney general. aud 80 gentle
manly did be always treat = prisonef
that In some cases he seemed TO vie with
their paid attorney ia sei,ins forth the
favorable points in their case. Besides
his gen,lemAnly manners, Mr.. Foo,e was
q splendid looking man. whom !, was =
pleasure to hear while performing his
official duties. lie was the frs, a,'o'-
ney general Of Maine. Stephen Lons.
fellow defended the accused. and claimed
an Aequi,iAl on the ground ,ha, John.
son did no, fix time for bis return OF
the horse aud ehai,e. but was to have
them for an indefinite time AZ price per
diem. I, was though, a, the time that
| II the jury had no. heard Of the mi.chisv.
Gus pamphlet. ,ha, they would have
cleared the prisoner; bat the verde, was
guilty. The popular belief ,ha, he was
Captain Thunderbolt required Il. The
eoar, room wa, packed TO sahoca,ion,
and 90 continued until the judge ordered
Clerk William I. Vaughan to record
",hiry days solitary And three years
labor" For the lack Of labor prison
in Maine, / think Johnson served ou! his
sentence a, Charles,own, Mass.
While Johnson was in prisoa he became
a reformed man. and on his release re-.
turned TO Portland. lie admitted ths,
he had assumed name. and said his
true name was Richard RelhAn. He
looked up bis former friends, seknowl.
edged hi. faults. and asked TO be for
given, saying ,hA, he had received the
forgiveness Of his Maker. lie opened a
barber shop under his true name. aud
was ps,ronized by many OF his former
customers and Others.
In 1880 RelhAn was baptized by Rev.
Mr.. Leonard ani received into the COM
munion Of the Federal Street Baptist
church. lie married lady Of the mos,
respectable families Of ths, society. who
owned q three story wooden building
which stood where ihs Portland Savings
Bank building now does on Exchange.
then Court street. Here Rslhan had his
shop and dwelling over Il, and here he led
an exemplary life. Sometimes. like Dan.
iel the prophet, bis windows being open
towards jerusalem. In his earnes,ness, be
could he be heard in the streets "praying
aud making supplica,ion before hi. Cod
bu, his neishbors did not eonsiderd Il,
o,,en,A,ion. In 1884 he had room con-
nec,ed with the portland House. now
the Federal st. corner OF the United States
Hotel. Here his commanding figure
attracted the attention Of all strangers,
.and brough, him many coin. lie con.
,inued TO live on Exchange stree. until
his death which took place in November
isiI. Iii, wife died in 1856. at the age
Of IS.
Relhan did not admit nor deny his
Identity with "Thunderboli" Of Martins
book, bu, persis,en,ly refused to talk on
the subject. Martin said that be might
bs ideniifsd by q gunshot scar on his
thigh. When Relhan died the people
who prepared the body for the shroud
refused by reques, to answer questions.
How mK Ksrw.-Hsre 10 = pretty
good story OF a boy who made twenty.
five cent, by going to Sunday school
when away from home. Ithas = moral,
also. aud perhaps warning for Sunday
school orators.
A gentleman, addressing = Sunday.
school in Newark, described family in
distress, and referred to the disposition .
I Ill - A.